Galal Fakkar | Arab News
JEDDAH: The new law for the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) gives greater powers to businesswomen, Fahd Al-Sultan, secretary-general of the council, said yesterday.
“The new law, which replaces the existing 50-year-old law, will be passed within a few days,” he said.
Speaking to Arab News after attending a seminar on “Developing a new concept and culture of chamber elections” at the JCCI, Al-Sultan said the new law was designed to provide the council with necessary flexibility.
“The law has already been studied by the committee of experts at the Council of Ministers and has been passed to the minister of commerce and industry for his endorsement before presenting to the Cabinet for final approval,” he said.
Al-Sultan said the new law gives businesswomen a greater role in the council as well as in the development of the country.
“Even if only women are elected to the CSCCI board, there is nothing in the law to prevent it,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, three businesswomen, Madhawi Al-Hassoun, Lamy Suleiman and Nashwa Taher, yesterday announced their decision to contest the upcoming election to the JCCI board. They said they wanted to deepen the concept of women’s participation in elections to civil organizations in the country.
Showing posts with label Chamber of Commerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chamber of Commerce. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Saudi Arabia: SMS campaign forces woman out of YCCI race
YANBU: A chain SMS message has led the only woman candidate contesting elections to the Yanbu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (YCCI) board of directors to pull out of the race. The SMS, which was widely circulated a few hours before balloting began yesterday, asked voters to elect certain candidates, creating havoc and causing the election to be fought on tribal grounds.
The source of the message, which has had an immense impact, was unknown.
The SMS campaign led to candidates splitting into two groups. Candidates who were not listed in the SMS formed their own panel, including such members as Ibrahim Al-Johani, Ahmed Al-Johani, and Saleh Al-Johani.
The other panel included Faisal Hajji, Ahmed Al-Shaghdali, Ali Al-Masaad and Ali Abu-Mualla.
Candidates whose names appeared in the message denied any previous knowledge of it. The name of the only woman candidate, Alawiyah Abdul Fattah Munqal, was also listed in the SMS.
Munqal said she withdrew her name from the panel when she learned that the Yanbu business community was against women candidates and that the presence of her name would result in other members on her panel losing votes.
She said her panel included people who value the role of businesswomen and are ready to provide them with necessary assistance.
Munqal said the candidates in her panel explained to her that the business community was not in favor of her candidacy, adding that she withdrew her candidature without any grudge. “My name was taken out of the list so that the other candidates would not lose votes. I have willingly accepted their decision and fully support them,” she said.
Nabeel Nighaimish, a candidate whose name appeared in the SMS, denied any hand in the message or any knowledge of its sender. “I explained this to members,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of voters were prevented from casting their votes because they had not renewed their YCCI membership.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
The source of the message, which has had an immense impact, was unknown.
The SMS campaign led to candidates splitting into two groups. Candidates who were not listed in the SMS formed their own panel, including such members as Ibrahim Al-Johani, Ahmed Al-Johani, and Saleh Al-Johani.
The other panel included Faisal Hajji, Ahmed Al-Shaghdali, Ali Al-Masaad and Ali Abu-Mualla.
Candidates whose names appeared in the message denied any previous knowledge of it. The name of the only woman candidate, Alawiyah Abdul Fattah Munqal, was also listed in the SMS.
Munqal said she withdrew her name from the panel when she learned that the Yanbu business community was against women candidates and that the presence of her name would result in other members on her panel losing votes.
She said her panel included people who value the role of businesswomen and are ready to provide them with necessary assistance.
Munqal said the candidates in her panel explained to her that the business community was not in favor of her candidacy, adding that she withdrew her candidature without any grudge. “My name was taken out of the list so that the other candidates would not lose votes. I have willingly accepted their decision and fully support them,” she said.
Nabeel Nighaimish, a candidate whose name appeared in the SMS, denied any hand in the message or any knowledge of its sender. “I explained this to members,” he said.
Meanwhile, a number of voters were prevented from casting their votes because they had not renewed their YCCI membership.
Muhammad Al-Sheikh | Arab News
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Makkah Businesswomen Decry Poor Services
MAKKAH, 27 May 2008 — Several businesswomen are unhappy with poor services that the women’s section of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) provides and complain that they find it difficult to gain loans.
Areej Justaniyah, a distributor of imported lingerie with a shop in Makkah, said, “I wonder what use there is in becoming a member of the Fatimah Center, the women’s section of the MCCI. The organization needs to make it easier for women to get loans from agencies that work with the chambers.”
Justaniyah says she was denied a loan to open a shop because she was unable to meet difficult conditions to qualify for financial aid. “When I adhered strictly to the conditions set by the MCCI, I couldn’t even pay my workers,” she said.
“The center makes empty promises. It claims it is launching new schemes and initiatives for women. But they are never translated into reality,” she said, adding that the business training courses that the MCCI conducts for women were overpriced and that fees need to be brought down to make them affordable to everyone.
Justaniyah added that some of the courses were a waste of time and money. “For instance, a recently held course, called ‘How to Run a Business from Your Home,’ did not provide any useful information to businesswomen like me. What we need are programs that shed light on practical marketing techniques,” she said.
“We need focused meetings where participants are able to exchange ideas related to the running of enterprises. We also want to participate in the business projects that the MCCI has recently launched. There should be a system in place for our involvement and interaction with businessmen so we can benefit from their experience, particularly in marketing techniques,” she added.
Justaniyah also lamented the inability of the MCCI to give useful advice on how to begin businesses in new areas. “Businesswomen are not given the opportunity to learn what other participants are doing and how they are faring. When I requested, in a recent meeting, that participants should be allowed to speak about their businesses, the chamber official dismissed the idea saying that the chamber did not allow such things,” she said.
Suhair Kawakbi, owner of a boutique that sells Moroccan dress that she designs herself, is also of the view that the MCCI is of no use to owners of small-time business owners such as her.
She added that she wanted to open a branch in Jeddah but the chamber did not offer any help. “I hope the chamber would do more than invite people to its meetings,” she said.
Hanan Dahlawi, a children’s dress designer, said she has been in the business for the past 20 years. “The only support I got from the MCCI was an opportunity to exhibit my products at the Grand Coral Hotel five months ago,” she said, adding that she has faced a lot of difficulties in marketing her products, which she attributed to a lack of malls and large shopping complexes in Makkah.
Dahlawi believes that the MCCI should set up large women-only shopping centers and souks where women entrepreneurs could showcase their goods.
On the other hand, Huda Mehdi, deputy chair of the Fatimah Center, said several women in Makkah have set up small businesses with the MCCI’s help. “The center holds training courses for women, gives them advice on the types of business they can do and assists them in taking loans from the Saudi Credit Bank and the Centenary Fund. This, of course, follows feasibility studies. The amount of loans that we give range from SR100,000 to SR200,000,” she said.
“The chamber also plans to shortly issue licenses to women’s salons. It will also open exclusive women’s markets at the Saleh Jamal Center in Makkah where women will be able to display and sell their wares themselves,” she added.
By Chamber Ibtisam Shaqdar, Arab News
Areej Justaniyah, a distributor of imported lingerie with a shop in Makkah, said, “I wonder what use there is in becoming a member of the Fatimah Center, the women’s section of the MCCI. The organization needs to make it easier for women to get loans from agencies that work with the chambers.”
Justaniyah says she was denied a loan to open a shop because she was unable to meet difficult conditions to qualify for financial aid. “When I adhered strictly to the conditions set by the MCCI, I couldn’t even pay my workers,” she said.
“The center makes empty promises. It claims it is launching new schemes and initiatives for women. But they are never translated into reality,” she said, adding that the business training courses that the MCCI conducts for women were overpriced and that fees need to be brought down to make them affordable to everyone.
Justaniyah added that some of the courses were a waste of time and money. “For instance, a recently held course, called ‘How to Run a Business from Your Home,’ did not provide any useful information to businesswomen like me. What we need are programs that shed light on practical marketing techniques,” she said.
“We need focused meetings where participants are able to exchange ideas related to the running of enterprises. We also want to participate in the business projects that the MCCI has recently launched. There should be a system in place for our involvement and interaction with businessmen so we can benefit from their experience, particularly in marketing techniques,” she added.
Justaniyah also lamented the inability of the MCCI to give useful advice on how to begin businesses in new areas. “Businesswomen are not given the opportunity to learn what other participants are doing and how they are faring. When I requested, in a recent meeting, that participants should be allowed to speak about their businesses, the chamber official dismissed the idea saying that the chamber did not allow such things,” she said.
Suhair Kawakbi, owner of a boutique that sells Moroccan dress that she designs herself, is also of the view that the MCCI is of no use to owners of small-time business owners such as her.
She added that she wanted to open a branch in Jeddah but the chamber did not offer any help. “I hope the chamber would do more than invite people to its meetings,” she said.
Hanan Dahlawi, a children’s dress designer, said she has been in the business for the past 20 years. “The only support I got from the MCCI was an opportunity to exhibit my products at the Grand Coral Hotel five months ago,” she said, adding that she has faced a lot of difficulties in marketing her products, which she attributed to a lack of malls and large shopping complexes in Makkah.
Dahlawi believes that the MCCI should set up large women-only shopping centers and souks where women entrepreneurs could showcase their goods.
On the other hand, Huda Mehdi, deputy chair of the Fatimah Center, said several women in Makkah have set up small businesses with the MCCI’s help. “The center holds training courses for women, gives them advice on the types of business they can do and assists them in taking loans from the Saudi Credit Bank and the Centenary Fund. This, of course, follows feasibility studies. The amount of loans that we give range from SR100,000 to SR200,000,” she said.
“The chamber also plans to shortly issue licenses to women’s salons. It will also open exclusive women’s markets at the Saleh Jamal Center in Makkah where women will be able to display and sell their wares themselves,” she added.
By Chamber Ibtisam Shaqdar, Arab News
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